Free Local Events for Families...

Now is a great time to start researching what will be going on in your community for summer family fun!  Many communities host 'Music in the Park', or 'Movies on the Lawn' or 'Theatre in the Park' type events for families that are free.  These are wonderful opportunities for your children to experience theatre and music at a great price:  FREE!!  Check your local papers or call your local chamber of commerce or tourism office.

Many National Landmarks host great art events for families in the spring and summer---any that are surrounding you are great ones to check!

Happy Spring!

Fun for You & Your Children....

Check out the Eagle Cam at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens!  You can get an up close look at three eaglets and their parents in the nest.  It is a live cam--and so fun to watch.

The past few months we have been working on tempo--one of our exercises was 'Birdie in the Nest, Birdie Out of the Nest'; so your children will have a neat connection with what is going on inside this real nest!  Enjoy!  {Warning:  it has been known to be addicting to watch this cam!}

Young Child's Creativity....

The movie Monsters, Inc actually came from a 30 year-old man's drawings that he did when he was 3!  Don't discount your young child's early creative endeavors----they could lead to big things! And always be sure to encourage them--we were all meant to be creative.

Successful Creative Parenting.....

Taken from Joanne Bath's studio notes:

Joanne Bath

THE P's OF SUCCESSFUL PARENTING:

Positive Parental Involvement
Play
Posture for fun!
Practice things together
Positive environment
Praise
Participation
Peers
Play music
Persist



THE C's OF SUCCESSFUL PARENTING:

Cheer
Congratulate
Change
Conquer
Challenge
Contemplate
be Considerate
be Consistent
be Creative
be Calm
be Cognizant
be in Control
be Confident

Ballet in Cinema!!! Not to miss!

Be sure to check out www.balletincinema.com!  This is a great opportunity to see professional performances at wonderful prices! See if there is a cinema in your area that will be showing one soon.  These are not old performances--they are shown in the theatres sometimes within hours of the stage performance!

Many of these are even shown LIVE!!!  Your children will love them!

Benefits of Dance in the Early Years.....

 

Physical Development 

 

• Moving safely, imaginatively and with confidence 

• Moving with bodily control, co-ordination, flexibility and balance 

• The development of spatial awareness 

• Dancing with props; developing manipulative skills 

• Experiencing a range of gross motor movements and fine motor movements 

• Keeping healthy - dance as part of a healthy lifestyle 

Creative Development 

 

• Communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings non-verbally through movement 

• Using the imagination to create ideas, characters and narratives 

• Making movement responses 

• Having an enjoyable, exciting and motivating time 

• Working individually, with a partner and as part of a group 

• Developing trust and co-operation 

• Selecting and using movement ideas independently and with others 

• Exploring feelings and views of self and others - including other cultures and beliefs 

• Accepting the moral code on which discipline and courtesy within the group is based 

• Interacting with a new social group 

 

 

Communication, Language and Literacy Development 

 

• The use of sounds, music, words, poems, rhymes, texts and stories as stimuli for, and 

   accompaniment to dance 

• The use of language to imagine and recreate roles and ideas in the dance 

• Interaction - negotiating plans and activities and developing conversational skills 

• Appreciation - talking about personal dance performance 

• Observation - talking about the dance performance of others 

• Developing a vocabulary of movemen

Mind and Body Benefits of Dance for Children

ARTICLE 

Dance provides youth with mind and body benefits 

By Debra Strickland 

FamilyTalk Magazine, March/April Edition 2006 

  

Many different types of dance classes are available for children, from modern dance, 

ballet, tap and jazz to dance that celebrates unique ethnic and cultural traditions.  What’s 

the most important thing for parents to keep in mind when choosing a dance class?  It’s 

that research has proven that dance provides physical, developmental and artistic benefits 

to your child. 

 

Physical Benefits - Students build muscle strength while increasing flexibility.  Young 

dancers develop a sense of balance and improve agility and coordination.  Importantly, 

children also develop body awareness and learn correct posture. 

 

These benefits extend beyond a student’s involvement with dance, helping youth involved 

in other disciplines, such as sports and martial arts.  Studies have shown that physical 

activity helps children relieve stress and feel relaxed.  It also is a great way to help your 

child develop a positive lifelong attitude about staying active and healthy. 

 

Developmental Benefits - Dance classes are fun and a great way to meet new friends.  

Young dancers develop essential social skills through interaction with other students.  

Group choreography fosters teamwork, communication, trust and cooperation.  Dance 

also has been proven to nurture important life skills, such as discipline and focus.  

Dancers naturally display confidence, self-esteem and poise.  These skills are developed 

through participating in dance performances. 

 

Artistic Benefits – One of the greatest benefits of dance is that it sparks a child’s 

imagination and nurtures individual creativity in a unique way.  Dance classes share the 

joy of physical self-expression in a supportive and structured setting.  This can have a 

positive impact on children who have limited physical abilities, who act out or who have a 

difficult time sitting still.  Involving children in dance also teaches the basic elements of 

creative movement, such as time, space, rhythm and design. 

 

While people may not be as familiar with modern dance as with ballet or jazz, modern   

 

dance in particular honors the creative spirit and celebrates the individual.  Modern dance 

does not simply conform to conventional movements, shapes and patterns.  Instead, it 

requires the young dancer to learn movement from the inside out, nurturing the body and 

focusing the mind.  This form of dance especially is welcoming to children of all shapes, 

sizes and genders. 

  

There is one final reason to get your child dancing.  Research proves there is a strong link 

between involvement in the arts and increased educational achievement.  In fact, one 

study showed that “students who participate in the arts are not only more likely to 

participate in a math and science fair, but also out-perform their peers on the SATs by 87 

points” (www.artsusa.org).  These educational benefits are gained by students regardless 

of their socioeconomic status.   

 

There’s sure to be a dance class that fits your child’s interests and your schedule, so why 

wait?  Enroll your child in a dance class.  The lessons she or he learns will last a lifetime. 

 

Debra Strickland is the executive director of Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, southwest 

Michigan’s only professional modern dance company.  Debra holds a Master of Public 

Administration degree from Western Michigan University and has been passionate about 

working in the arts and women’s issues for nearly a decade. 

Great Spring Opportunity.....

Classes are in full swing and with the weather we have had lately it is so important for children to get exercise!  Dance is such a healthy form of exercise for any age---and is a wonderful outlet during the turbulent, unpredictable weather that we experience in spring, when many children do not get to go out and play.  Just because there are only 3 months left in the regular season---it is not too late to register for dance.  When you register your child for dance you are giving them a wonderful gift!

Investing in Your Children with Live Performances....

If you are a parent of a little one we cannot understate the importance of taking your child to performances that are geared to their age.  Sure, going to the movie theater is a treat----but it is a wonderful experience for a young child to attend a live theatre performance that is geared to their age.  In most areas there are children's theatre groups---and colleges and universities usually host a Family Fare type of season of performances for young ones.   Take a second to check into it today for your area.  You and your family will have so much fun! 

Be Specific in Questioning Young Ones

As we have a bit of spring weather during February---always a teaser---it is a time that all of us, parents and children can get into a rut.  We are all ready for consistent spring weather and more playtime outside.  

Us this time to encourage your child in their endeavors.  Be sure to use the monthly newsletter to ask your child specifically about the things we are doing in class.  We compose our newsletters in a way that makes it easy for parents to have a conversation about dance class with young ones.  At this young age children are overwhelmed by such a huge question as:  "What did you do in dance class today?"  That question is just TOO BIG for them!  You will usually get an answer like:  "Nothing" to a big question like that.  Use the monthly newsletters to ask specific questions about what is going on in class---and only ask 1-2 specific questions every few days.  Asking too many questions at one time can be overwhelming to young ones as well.  Enjoy this great journey with your child----we are honored to be a part of it!